


there's beauty in the mundane

by v1ewmonster



Category: Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound
Genre: Asexual Character, Banter, Dialogue Heavy, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, LGBTQ Themes, Late Night Conversations, Light Angst, Talking, ness family headcanons... i have them, ness says ace and bi rights!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23480038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/v1ewmonster/pseuds/v1ewmonster
Summary: Ness and Paula talk about a variety of things that could potentially strengthen their relationship.
Relationships: Ness/Paula Polestar
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	there's beauty in the mundane

Ness woke up to see someone else sleeping beside him. He rubbed his eyes, feeling his vision go blurry every time he did it. Once he was in the clear, he could see that Paula was the one beside him. He shot up at the sight of her, about to panic because how did she get here!? Though he managed to keep his composure once she began to stir. 

He swore he could hear his name come out of her mouth, though it sounded muddled. Maybe it was because he was still groggy with sleep, the fog in his brain refusing to lighten up. 

He remembered where he was. He had sauntered over to Paula’s house to hang out with her since he hadn’t for a while (what an irresponsible boyfriend he was!), forgetting that he had fallen asleep on the couch. He wondered what time it was, though he decided against getting up to check the time, because he still wanted to hold her close. 

“Ness...?” Paula asked. “You’re awake?”

Ness froze for a second, feeling shocked yet mesmerized by her voice. “Yeah... sorry if I scared you or something, I was just tired.” 

“It’s fine,” Paula said, shifting her weight and facing him. “You really need to get a better sleep schedule, though. It’s summer vacation and you’re still out and about doing things? You should be sleeping in, if anything!”

She was right about that. Though with baseball practice in the way, and all the schoolwork he had to make up, he had no free schedule to speak of. Fortunately, Paula was there to help him with the work in case he got stuck, and she even helped cheer him on during games. 

“You know what I’ve been thinking about lately?” Paula asked, and at Ness’ lack of an answer, she continued: “We’ve been dating for... almost a year now, yet do we really know each other?”

That question caused Ness to do a double take. It sounded foreign, if anything. “What do ya mean we don’t know anything about each other? Of course we do!” 

“Oh yeah? What’s my blood type, then?”

“Uhh...” 

Ness wasn’t one to pay attention to something like that. He wasn’t one to pay attention to anything at all, namely to whatever his peers were saying. So what made Paula think that he was able to figure out her _blood type_? 

“Am I supposed to know that…?” He asked, hugging his knees. “Don’t people know those things when it comes to celebrities and stuff? I think it’s kinda creepy, if I had anything to say about it.”

“You may have a point,” Paula said, “but I was just saying that in case you knew anything about me.” She turned to him tentatively. “You _do_ know something about me, right?”

“Well, do _you_ know anythin’ about me?” 

“Answering a question with a question,” Paula teased. “How like you, Ness.” 

“So you _do_ know somethin’!” Ness sputtered, feeling the heat rise to his face like it always did. And why _now_ , of all times?

Paula giggled, hand hovering over her mouth. “What can I say? Your behaviors are easy to read, especially when looking at your expressions. Those can be easily read in no time at all.”

Ness looked away. _Of course_ his emotions would leak out of him so effortlessly! He had been like this since birth, and his peers had always considered it a blessing, though he found it to be a curse, especially if it was a piece of information he’d rather not tell anyone. 

And hey, being in tune with your emotions sucked sometimes. He was _so_ invested in his relationships with others, to the point where it would bite him in the ass, and _he_ would be the one crying. If that was something he wasn’t looking forward to, then why bother? However, he never thought to change that quirk of his. 

“You seem to know everything about me, then,” Ness said. “Why ask the question if that’s the case?”

Paula emitted a short “pfft.” “I don’t know _everything_ about you, silly! Just that small tidbit.”

“Well, what else do you know about me?”

“Let’s see… I know you like baseball!”

“Oh yeah?” Ness got up from his slouched posture. “What’s my favorite position?”

“Position?” Paula asked, sounding pressured. “Pitcher?” 

Ness raised a finger. “Nope! It’s designated hitter. And _ew_ , who likes bein’ the pitcher?”

“Surely there are people out there who like throwing a ball, Ness! And why does there have to be complex names for positions…?” 

Ness shrugged, leaning back and sinking deeply into the couch. Her father was _right_ , this couch _was_ comfy! 

“But seriously, though,” Paula said, watching Ness submerge deeper into the couch. “Why don’t you like being a pitcher?”

At her inquiry, Ness proceeded to glare at her. “Who likes bein’ able to throw a _ball_? It’s stupid! And lazy…” His arms were crossed, but he was able to puff out his chest for being able to say that.

“That’s not it,” Paula said. 

Ness shot her a look in realization. “Whaddaya mean, “that’s not it?”

“Your actual reasoning is much more embarrassing, isn’t it?”

Ness huffed, arms still crossed. Hit the nail right on the head! He made haste, muttering, “They said I throw like a girl…” 

This time, Paula didn’t laugh. “Well, who cares what they think? Do what you want to do!” 

“ _Who cares_!?” Ness repeated, furrowing his brows. “ _Me_ , that’s who! And I asked them to not make me pitcher whenever we practice, but _noooo_ , they don’t do it! Of course they don’t respect _my_ wishes, my dignity!” 

“So you get offended easily,” Paula said, ignoring the rest of his statement. “How interesting.”

Ness chuckled nervously. “Whaddaya mean, I don’t do— _what?_ ” His voice cracked once he dragged out the syllables, causing him to blush and look away. 

“No, no, it’s fine!” Paula said with the flick of her wrist. “I actually think it’s cute!” 

“Cute?” Ness asked. “You think getting humiliated is _cute_? Is this… is this a game to you? Are you amused?” 

Paula could only laugh, watching his nostrils flare and face turn red, whether it was because he was angry or because he couldn’t resist looking at her. “Ness, calm down! I guess it’s a worse case than I thought…”

Ness kept his composure, gazing at the ground, breathing in and out. Once he simmered down, he looked at her and smiled. “Sorry, I just can’t see what you mean.” 

“Well, you’re just cute _in general_ , but I think you’re even cuter when you get mad at things that are supposedly petty!”

Ness adjusted a tuft of his hair. “Heh! Can’t see it.”

“And that’s okay! You just have to know that I love you just the way you are!”

Ness believed her, but at the same time, he couldn’t. Despite that, he found ways to love himself, because he refused to be a sad sack of overflowing emotions. He _couldn’t_ be, around her. Because being around her made him feel all of life’s joys at once. 

Instead, he said, “Moving on from that before the topic gets sappy, what else do ya know about me?”

“I think it’s _your_ turn to know a little bit about me,” Paula said, the corners of her lips forming a small, sympathetic smile, for whatever reason. Still thinking about earlier, it seemed.

Ness sighed. “Fine.” He pointed at her in a gun-like motion, resisting the urge to say “pew pew!” “Your favorite color is pink!”

“...no, actually,” Paula said. 

Ness’ eyebrows raised in surprise. “It’s not? But—you wear pink clothes all the time! You’re wearin’ something pink right now! How could it _not_ be your favorite color?” 

“Just because I like pink, doesn’t mean it’s my favorite color,” Paula smoothed out her dress. “My favorite is actually magenta.”

“Magenta? Isn’t that some other variation of pink?” Ness asked. 

“It’s more of a purplish-red, if anything,” Paula said, fixing her posture. 

“Okay…” Ness didn’t believe that magenta was some form of red, but he’d take it for now. 

He then stroked his chin in thought, facing Paula once a thought popped in his head. “What’s your favorite genre?”

“Genre?” Paula repeated. 

“Like… genre! TV shows, books, whatever!”

“I guess romance, if I had to say…”

“Oh,” Ness said with a disappointed look on his face.

Paula flashed a pouty expression. “What’s wrong with romance? We’re in a relationship, so what makes you say that?”

“It’s not really the romance, I just find some of the stories to be kinda cliche,” at Paula’s saddened expression, he waved his hands, saying, “not like that’s a bad thing! You can like whatever you want…”

“Ness, it’s okay,” Paula said, smiling good-naturedly. “You can have your opinion. I never really found you to be the type to like those kinds of stories, anyway.”

“Anyways,” she continues, “what’s something you don’t like about yourself?”

“...that’s one hell of a question.”

“I’m just wondering!”

“That’s not bad! I’m just sayin’.” 

Ness thought for a moment. “I guess… well, I don’t really like how short I am… and I don’t like how I’m unable to save people sometimes, because whenever that happens, I feel weak, and-”

“So you’re insecure?” Paula concluded. 

Ness wanted to laugh. “You’re surprised?”

Paula shook her head. “Not really. At this age, it’s common to feel that way. Guess I didn’t really see it coming from you, knowing how you are now. I understand why you’re worried about your height, though.”

Ness ignored what she said about his height (though it wasn’t a particularly malicious statement), and focused on the first part of her statement. “Honestly, I don’t think I can _be_ insecure around you. Guess that means I’m makin’ progress, yeah? I just… I’m always _happy_ whenever I’m with you. I can’t explain it. Probably just the side effects of love, but… yeah.”

“Ness!” Paula said with newfound joy. “You’re not serious, are you?”

“I _am_ serious,” Ness said, giving her a peck on the cheek to show it. However, his flustered side came into view once he did so. 

“I’m sorry, I just-” Paula paused. “Nobody’s really said that to me before, so I got kinda off guard.” He could tell that the kiss caught her off guard, too.

Ness wanted to ask how nobody had said that to her, but he held back. Instead, he asked, “You’ve dated others before me, right?”

Paula nodded. “Of course. What about you?”

“Nope!”

“And that’s okay! We’re only thirteen, after all.”

Ness laid his head down on her lap. “True, but… it’s lonely, with nobody wanting to return your feelings.” 

“I know,” Paula said, “but you’ve been able to survive, right?”

“I guess so…”

“Are you implying that you were desperate when you met me?”

Radio silence on his part. 

He crossed one leg over the other, making a face. “I’ll admit, I _was_ kinda touch-starved and in need of a cuddle session by the time I met you, but that doesn’t mean I needed a romantic partner to fulfill that for me,” He looked up at her in desperation, “right?”

Paula rolled her eyes. “ _Right_.” 

They laughed for the umpteenth time that night, with Ness still gazing intently into her eyes. _Oh_ , how he could get lost in them for hours!

“Here’s a question I’ve been meaning to ask for a really long time,” Ness said once he stopped laughing. “What made you choose me?”

“Hmm?”

“I mean,” Ness said, grasping for words. He must have described it oddly. “You could have chosen _everyone_ in the universe to be your boyfriend. Girlfriend, even! Why did you choose me?”

It didn’t take Paula that long to provide her answer. “You were the first person I ever got close to.”

Ness shot up for a moment. “Not even Jeff? Or Poo? You gotta admit, Poo’s pretty…” He trailed off, blushing a bright pink upon saying that.

“He’s… okay.” 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, JUST OKAY?? HE’S BEAUTIFUL!”

“Why don’t you go date him, then?” Paula joked.

“I can’t do that, I’m datin’ you! Plus even if I am willing to date two people at once, I can’t do you dirty like that!”

“You know he’s aromantic, right?” Paula questioned, raising an eyebrow. 

“He is?” Ness said. “At least I’m not the only person I know who’s aspec around here now… and you know what? Good for him.”

Paula nodded in response, drinking deeply in the scene laid down before her. 

Ness put a hand near his cheek. “Aight, ask me more questions. Let’s do this!”

“Whoa!” Paula exclaimed. “What’s with the sudden burst of energy? And what time is it now?”

“Not sure, but I feel super energized! Go on, ask me anything!”

Paula put a hand to her chin, then a lightbulb flashed in her mind. “What’s your relationship with your family? Ever since you first got homesick, I always wonder how deep your relationship with them really is.”

Ness went quiet at that, forcing a small smile.

“Did I hit a nerve?”

“Not exactly,” Ness said, fiddling with his thumbs. “Alright, I’ll tell you. I love my mom and all, hell, she’s one of the people I fight for, but… I’m not sure if she loves me the same?”

Paula hugged her knees, a hand about to cover her mouth. “But doesn’t she always answer your calls? And talks about how much she cares about you?”

Ness laughed. “That’s just an act cause she knows you guys are around. It’s not that she’s entirely uncaring, just… neglectful at times.” 

“How so?”

“Well… we argue sometimes, and she even doesn’t come to my baseball games if the argument’s severe enough.”

“What do you argue about?” Paula shouldn’t have been so curious about this, but this was one of the first times Ness had opened up to her, despite being an open book most of the time. 

“You know, the usual… who’s takin’ custody. Of me.” He combed a hand through his hair. “She’s really takin’ this divorce hard, isn’t she?”

“Wait, your parents are divorced?” Paula asked. 

Ness nodded. “Yeah… I never really tell anyone this, mostly cause I don’t like talkin’ about it.” He laughed nervously. 

“Sorry for bringing it up, then…” Paula said apologetically. She could blame it on curiosity killing the cat and whatnot, but she didn’t. Mainly because this was her problem and her problem alone. Though of course Ness would say otherwise.

“Nah, it’s cool!” Ness said lightheartedly. “I love bein’ reminded that I’m a burden in that house.” He sighed. “At least I won’t be there forever.” 

“Ness…” 

“It’s good to know that they only think of me as an afterthought. Even my own sister thinks of our relationship as a sibling rivalry… I wish they found a way to get back together…” 

“Ness?” Paula’s voice cut into his thoughts like a knife tearing through his delicate skin. 

“Yeah?” 

Paula threw her arms around him, latching on as tight as she could. Ness returned the favor, smiling warmly, making Paula’s cheeks glow at Ness’ touch.

“You know what? I don’t care if they acknowledge me. Cause as long as I got you, I’ll be okay.”

Ness fell deeply into her arms, all his worries washing away by the time he did so. Paula’s hand reached his back, moving with careful strokes, like when he’d stroke her hair or feel the bottom of his guitar whenever he played it. 

He felt hot all over. He couldn’t even feel his face, which was a given. Yet he fitted into her arms like a new pair of winter gloves, the thoughts that were once weighing him down obsolete,

replaced with light and airy thoughts. His breath was in sync with hers, instead of feeling the need to hyperventilate whenever the thought of his insecurities came up.

He looked up at her, feeling as if his eyes suddenly glowed. And maybe they did; PSI was funny that way. They seemed to be thinking the same thing, because simultaneously, they inched closer together, with Ness putting a hand over her cheek before her lips could make contact with his own.

They _had_ kissed before, though Ness had lost count. Even then, he wasn’t able to keep his composure for long before he would pull himself out of the kiss with a reddened face. But this time, he found himself able to kiss her back, wondering how he didn’t run out of breath by then. He felt his knees buckle, but he was still able to give in to the trace of her lips. 

He watched Paula pull away, doing the same once he got the signal. He was still flustered, _of course he was_ , but that didn’t matter once he realized he was staring at the love of his life. 

“Too much?” Paula asked, laughing. “You’re still not used to kissing anybody, huh?”

“I don’t think I can, at this point,” At least, the asexual side of him wouldn’t let him. But he was fine with that. 

Paula immediately read his mind, nodding. “That’s fine. You don’t need to get used to it.”

“It’s not like I’m _uncomfortable_ or anythin’,” Ness said. “I dunno, it’s just… somethin’ about it. And it’s far from me gettin’ flustered, at this point.”

“Don’t worry about it.” 

“Yeah, but…” Ness said, sighing. “It’s either I’m comfortable or I’m not, and I don’t know which it is.”

“And that’s okay!” Paula said, taking a lock of hair and curling it between her fingers. “Sexuality can be complicated.”

“...I don’t want it to be.”

“Too bad,” Paula teased, forcing back a laugh.

“Welp, you have a point there.”

She was right. Everything about the human condition was complicated, whether he liked it or not. Though he could put up with it. Maybe.

“Anyways,” Paula said, getting up and opening the windows, blinding Ness with the rising sun, “it’s time to get up, and we didn’t sleep a wink.” 

“Aw, c’mon, P, it’s only—” Ness looked around until he saw a clock—“7:30 AM. We could sleep for a little while longer.”

At Paula’s lack of an answer, Ness gestured towards himself. “C’mere.”

Paula gave in, walking over to him and sitting on the couch. Ness pulled her close, his fleshy arm roped around her back. She gave him the blankets he kicked off the couch earlier, getting herself situated and closing her eyes. Ness followed suit, sleep immediately taking its course. He was a lot more exhausted than he thought, but he was glad to spend the rest of the day exhausted with her. 

**Author's Note:**

> i dunno why but i REALLY like writing a dynamic between this two, like their conversations are so fun to write sfjkhfk


End file.
